Introduction
Ms. Rana Zantout is an educator from Beirut, Lebanon, with eight years of experience in teaching Qur’an interpretation. Throughout her journey in religious education, she has focused on helping learners move beyond memorization and theoretical understanding toward deeper contemplation and practical application of Qur’anic meanings in daily life.
In this learning journey, Ms. Rana worked with a group of twenty women between the ages of thirty and forty-five. The participants included both housewives and employees with diverse personal and professional backgrounds. The journey was designed around Surat Al-Baqarah with the aim of transforming its interpretation from a traditional explanatory lesson into an Active Deep Learner eXperience that connects the verses to the learners’ real lives and encourages reflection, understanding, and meaningful action.
The learning journey emerged from the need to deepen learners’ understanding of Surat Al-Baqarah in a way that goes beyond explaining vocabulary and stories. The goal was to help participants experience the surah as a guide for life, enabling them to reflect on its meanings, understand its rulings and values, and connect them to practical behaviors and decisions in their daily lives. For this reason, the facilitator designed and facilitated the journey using the FIRST-ADLX Framework to ensure engagement, interaction, reflection, sequencing, and transforming learning into real-life performance.
Learning Design Overview
Ms. Rana chose the FIRST-ADLX Framework because it places the learner at the center of the learning process and supports the creation of an engaging and meaningful Learner eXperience. The framework also helped her move gradually and smoothly from preparation to interaction, then to reflection and practical application, while maintaining the flow and coherence of the journey.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this learning journey, the learner will be able to:
Attitude Learning Outcomes
- Believe in resurrection and the afterlife.
- Strengthen faith in angels and prophets.
- Appreciate the importance of the Islamic rulings presented in the surah.
Skills Learning Outcomes
- Practice the skill of contemplation and reflection upon Qur’anic verses.
- Draw a map of the rulings presented in the surah.
Knowledge Learning Outcomes
- Understand difficult vocabulary.
- Understand the stories mentioned in the surah and the lessons behind them.
- Explain and apply the Islamic rulings presented in the verses.
Parallel Learning Outcomes
Attitude
- Appreciate the value of preserving natural resources.
Skills
- Practice waste sorting and recycling.
Knowledge
- List methods for protecting the environment.
Performance Outcomes
- Apply the rulings and the overall message of the surah.
- Transform learning into a practical map that supports contemplation and living with the surah.
- Strengthen constructive thinking skills.
The learning journey began with an introduction about the virtue of Surat Al-Baqarah and clarification of the journey’s goals. This was followed by a focusing stage using a thematic map of the surah’s main topics. The facilitator then moved into interaction through collaborative activities and discussions. Afterwards, Reviewing Actively took place through presentations and the RAR model while maintaining a smooth sequence between activities. Finally, the journey focused on transforming learning into practical application by connecting the verses to daily life and developing realistic action plans.
Learning Activities Using the RAR Model
The facilitator applied the RAR model throughout all the learning activities. During the Readiness Increase stage of the opener activity, participants were invited to reflect on the virtue of Surat Al-Baqarah and its impact on the life of a Muslim. The facilitator then shared the overall purpose of the learning journey in a clear way that helped the learners understand the direction of the journey from the very beginning. After that, she used a visual map of the surah’s main themes to increase mental readiness and organize the key ideas in a way that supported learners in following the sequence of concepts throughout the journey. As for the other learning activities, the facilitator ensured the learners’ mental, emotional, and physical readiness, provided them with the needed instructions and materials, divided them into groups, clarified the timing, and announced the beginning of each activity.
During the Activity Facilitation stage, the learners worked collaboratively in groups to extract values and commands from the verses. They also participated in role-play activities connected to the stories of the surah, in addition to group discussions that created space for everyone to express their thoughts and participate actively. Throughout the activities, the facilitator carefully followed the interaction, guided the dialogue, and connected the learners’ contributions to the core concepts of the surah.
In the Reviewing Actively stage, the learners reflected on the meanings of the verses through questions such as: “What did you understand from this verse?” They then moved toward considering the relevance of these values to their personal lives and how they could influence their daily decisions and behaviors. Afterwards, they developed practical applications connected to their reality, such as creating a spending plan, maintaining consistency in prayer, or writing a personal commitment to apply one of the values of the surah in daily life. This helped transform learning into realistic and sustainable action steps.
The Domains of FIRST in Action
F – Focusing on Learner Behaviors
The facilitator activated this domain by identifying the learners’ prior knowledge and needs related to Surat Al-Baqarah before starting the journey. She clarified the purpose of the learning experience from the beginning and used introductory questions to stimulate curiosity and connect the lesson to the learners’ daily lives. This helped learners feel that the journey was personally relevant and meaningful to their own experiences.
I – Interacting within Positive Group Dynamics
This domain was activated through collaborative group work, where learners were invited to extract values and commands from the verses together. They also participated in role-play activities connected to the stories of the surah and engaged in group discussions that encouraged everyone to share their ideas and perspectives. The facilitator maintained a positive and welcoming atmosphere that encouraged participation, interaction, and mutual respect among the learners.
R – Reviewing Activities within RAR Model
The facilitator consistently applied the three stages of the RAR model throughout the journey. She increased readiness through introductions, questions, and visual mapping of the surah. During activity facilitation, she guided interaction and supported participation while maintaining learners’ focus and engagement. Reviewing Actively took place through reflective questions and practical discussions that encouraged learners to derive meaning from the verses and connect them to future actions in their own lives.
S – Sequencing within Learner eXperience
The learning journey was carefully sequenced through connected stages that moved from introduction, to group activities, to sharing results, and finally to individual reflection. The facilitator used the thematic map of the surah as a visual reference that helped learners follow the transitions between topics smoothly and clearly. The activities were arranged in a logical and gradual way that respected learners’ energy levels and maintained the flow of the journey without sudden transitions.
T – Transforming Learning into Performance
The facilitator guided learners toward applying the values and teachings of Surat Al-Baqarah in their real lives by inviting them to create practical action plans, such as maintaining prayer regularly or organizing spending habits according to Islamic values. Learners also wrote personal commitments to apply one of the values of the surah in their daily routines. They were encouraged to share the impact of their learning within their families and communities, helping extend the influence of the journey beyond the learning environment itself.
Conclusion and Reflection
Impact on the Facilitator
Ms. Rana explained that applying the FIRST-ADLX Framework made the learning journey more organized and clear. It helped her move through connected stages from preparation to practical application in a smooth and purposeful manner. The framework also increased her awareness of the learner’s role as the center of the learning process.
One of the most important insights she gained from this experience was realizing that Surat Al-Baqarah can become more than a theoretical interpretation lesson. When the verses are connected to learners’ realities and life plans, the surah transforms into a meaningful journey of reflection and behavioral change.
She also noticed a clear difference compared to her previous teaching practices. In the past, lessons relied more heavily on direct instruction, whereas after applying the framework, the learning became more interactive, engaging, and learner-centered. This created deeper and more sustainable impact on the participants.
Impact on the Learners
The learners responded positively to the journey and showed enthusiasm toward participating in the activities. They appreciated the connection between the Qur’anic verses and their daily realities. Some learners shared that they had already started implementing small practical plans, such as maintaining regular recitation of Surat Al-Baqarah or applying one of its values in their daily lives.
The learners also developed a deeper awareness of the meanings of the surah and became more convinced that the Qur’an is a guide for life rather than only theoretical knowledge. Their engagement, questions, and active participation throughout the journey reflected their enjoyment of the Learner eXperience.
The facilitator observed that the impact was visible across all domains of the framework, although the domain of “Transforming Learning into Performance” still requires future follow-up to ensure continuity and sustainability.
Impact on the Community
The facilitator believes that if this approach continues to be applied, its impact will naturally extend to families and the wider community through the behavioral changes of the learners themselves. When learners apply values from Surat Al-Baqarah, such as patience, honesty, and charity, these values are reflected in their interactions with family members and society around them.